Paul Scholes says ‘that is a massive concern for me’ as Man Utd legend opens up on ‘second-rate’ De Ligt transfer
PAUL SCHOLES has voiced his concerns around Manchester United’s seemingly imminent transfer of Matthijs de Ligt.
The Red Devils are understood to be on the brink of signing the Bayern Munich centre-back in a deal worth around £45million.
YouTube/ The OverlapPaul Scholes has questioned Manchester United’s decision to sign Matthijs de Ligt[/caption]
AlamyDe Ligt is on the brink of sealing a £45m switch to Old Trafford[/caption]
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De Ligt, 25, has already had an enviable career with the Dutch defender playing for three European giants in Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
But Man Utd icon Scholes is still concerned that the star may not be the right signing for the Old Trafford outfit, suggesting that De Ligt hasn’t been able to impress at both Juve and Bayern.
Scholes, who was speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, said: “With Man Utd, we’re talking about players who can’t get into their team.
“He’s [De Ligt] not playing for them [Bayern], that has to be a big concern, especially when Eric Dier is playing in front of him.
“That is a massive concern for me.”
De Ligt managed just 16 league starts for Bayern last season, competing with Eric Dier for a starting spot under Thomas Tuchel in the second half of the season.
The 45-time Netherlands international made his name at Ajax as a youngster, playing under current United boss Erik ten Hag for the Amsterdam club.
And Ten Hag even made him the youngest captain in the club’s history, aged just 19.
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However, Scholes isn’t convinced that United should be choosing their new signings based off Ten Hag’s familiar faces.
He added: “When you’re bringing in players for £40m, £50m just because he’s played for him [Ten Hag] two or three years ago.
“Juventus got rid of him, he wasn’t good enough there and he obviously hasn’t been good enough at Bayern Munich.
“He’s coming to us almost like a second-rate defender.”
Why De Ligt is the perfect Man Utd signing
By Lee Scott
One of Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag’s biggest headaches has been fixing their leaky defence.
Despite still not being anywhere near his peak years De Ligt has built considerable experience so far in his career with Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich and he has 45 caps at senior level for the Dutch national team.
While he is not necessarily a highly modern ball playing type of defensive player he is a player with the defensive strengths and instincts to help shore up a United defence that was, at best, leaky last season.
He has a great ability to read the game which was one of the biggest issues that we saw from the United defensive unit last season.
De Ligt is also a master in one-on-one situations, who shows strength and intensity in his duels.
The Dutch star does a good job in keeping things simple and tends to make good decisions in possession.
The pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt makes perfect sense for United and for Ten Hag as a young defender who is still to reach his peak.
He has considerable experience at a high level and he understands the game model and system of play of the manager.
Click here to read our full analysis on De Ligt joining Manchester United.
De Ligt won’t be the first of Ten Hag’s former Ajax crew to make the jump to join the 13-time Premier League champions.
The Dutchman is expected to join alongside fellow Bayern Munich wantaway Noussair Mazraoui, who also played under Ten Hag for Ajax.
The pair join Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana and Antony on the growing list of Ten Hag’s trusted former stars.
United got their new campaign off to a disappointing start last weekend, suffering penalty shootout heartache at the hands of neighbours Man City in the Community Shield.
Their Wembley woes mean they will have to pick themselves up and dust themselves off quickly before they get the new Premier League season off to a start on Friday.
The Red Devils host Fulham on Friday evening in the first game of the new Prem campaign.
Noussair Mazraoui is also expected to sign for Man UtdGetty
GettyErik ten Hag signed both Lisando Martinez and Antony after managing them during his time at Ajax[/caption]
GettyThe United boss also brought in former shot-stopper Andre Onana[/caption]
